Narrative:

On the ground at cmh, we noticed that the 'a' system landing gear green lights were not illuminated. The system was working normally on our landing and taxi in. We noticed further that the 'a' system indicator circuit breaker had popped and attempted to reset it. The circuit breaker reset momentarily and indicated that both the 'a' and 'B' system were operating normally. The circuit breaker then popped again. We decided to leave it out for the time being. I then tested the landing gear indicator lights and both system functioned normally. On my postflt walk around inspection I had noticed quite a bit of wet grit on all the tires and especially the nose gear. I believed that this was the problem since only the 'a' system indicator lights and indicator circuit breaker were out. We decided that it was only an indicator problem and that it was safe to proceed. While on the taxi out, I reached up and reset the circuit breaker and the system seemed to be normal. On departure from cmh with the first officer flying the aircraft, I cycled the gear up. As the gear went up, the 'a' system red lights did not illuminate and the green 'a' system lights went out. The 'B' system red lights stayed on. I then recycled the gear to the down position and got 3 green lights on the 'B' system only. I noticed that the 'a' system circuit breaker had popped again. I tried to reset it, but it would not. So, I left the gear in the down position. At that time my first officer suggested that we return to cmh. However, I decided to continue the flight so that I could troubleshoot the problem and to contact maintenance. I then told him to fly the aircraft and handle communications while I ran the appropriate checklist. It should be noted that we were in solid IFR conditions and I thought that this was the best course of action. I proceeded with the checklist but did not solve the problem. I tried to reset the circuit breaker, and although it stayed in, we heard what sounded like a motor running continuously and decided to pull the circuit breaker and leave it out. We had the 'B' system green lights illuminated and no unsafe gear indications. I talked to maintenance over the radio and they agreed that it was probably an indicator problem. Upon talking to cvg approach control, I advised them of our situation and requested crash fire rescue equipment equipment to standby as a precaution. I called our 'exceptions' frequency and told them to have 'red coats' (csr's) at the gate, if possible. I then spoke to our passenger via the intercom to inform them of the situation. Finally, I spoke with our flight attendant and told her what was going on. The approach controller asked us if we wished to do a tower 'fly- by' to have them check the landing gear for us. However, my first officer and I agreed that this would be unnecessary since we were sure that it was only an indicator problem and that with the WX being 400 ft overcast and 2 1/4 mi visibility that it would be a rather frivolous maneuver that might upset the passenger unnecessarily. We then shot the ILS runway 36R approach at cvg and landed without incident. Several crash fire rescue equipment vehicles followed us to our gate as is standard procedure. The passenger were deplaned with csr's available without any problem. Upon request of maintenance, we then taxied the aircraft to the hangar. At the hangar I talked to a maintenance supervisor who told me that a similar problem had arisen on another aircraft and that it was either a loose cannon plug or a relay box that probably was the source of problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB APPARENT AT RAMP DURING PREFLT. ACFT TAKEN ON FLT REGARDLESS OF LNDG GEAR INDICATOR PROBS.

Narrative: ON THE GND AT CMH, WE NOTICED THAT THE 'A' SYS LNDG GEAR GREEN LIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATED. THE SYS WAS WORKING NORMALLY ON OUR LNDG AND TAXI IN. WE NOTICED FURTHER THAT THE 'A' SYS INDICATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD POPPED AND ATTEMPTED TO RESET IT. THE CIRCUIT BREAKER RESET MOMENTARILY AND INDICATED THAT BOTH THE 'A' AND 'B' SYS WERE OPERATING NORMALLY. THE CIRCUIT BREAKER THEN POPPED AGAIN. WE DECIDED TO LEAVE IT OUT FOR THE TIME BEING. I THEN TESTED THE LNDG GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS AND BOTH SYS FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. ON MY POSTFLT WALK AROUND INSPECTION I HAD NOTICED QUITE A BIT OF WET GRIT ON ALL THE TIRES AND ESPECIALLY THE NOSE GEAR. I BELIEVED THAT THIS WAS THE PROB SINCE ONLY THE 'A' SYS INDICATOR LIGHTS AND INDICATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER WERE OUT. WE DECIDED THAT IT WAS ONLY AN INDICATOR PROB AND THAT IT WAS SAFE TO PROCEED. WHILE ON THE TAXI OUT, I REACHED UP AND RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND THE SYS SEEMED TO BE NORMAL. ON DEP FROM CMH WITH THE FO FLYING THE ACFT, I CYCLED THE GEAR UP. AS THE GEAR WENT UP, THE 'A' SYS RED LIGHTS DID NOT ILLUMINATE AND THE GREEN 'A' SYS LIGHTS WENT OUT. THE 'B' SYS RED LIGHTS STAYED ON. I THEN RECYCLED THE GEAR TO THE DOWN POS AND GOT 3 GREEN LIGHTS ON THE 'B' SYS ONLY. I NOTICED THAT THE 'A' SYS CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD POPPED AGAIN. I TRIED TO RESET IT, BUT IT WOULD NOT. SO, I LEFT THE GEAR IN THE DOWN POS. AT THAT TIME MY FO SUGGESTED THAT WE RETURN TO CMH. HOWEVER, I DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE FLT SO THAT I COULD TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB AND TO CONTACT MAINT. I THEN TOLD HIM TO FLY THE ACFT AND HANDLE COMS WHILE I RAN THE APPROPRIATE CHKLIST. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT WE WERE IN SOLID IFR CONDITIONS AND I THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION. I PROCEEDED WITH THE CHKLIST BUT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROB. I TRIED TO RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKER, AND ALTHOUGH IT STAYED IN, WE HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A MOTOR RUNNING CONTINUOUSLY AND DECIDED TO PULL THE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND LEAVE IT OUT. WE HAD THE 'B' SYS GREEN LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND NO UNSAFE GEAR INDICATIONS. I TALKED TO MAINT OVER THE RADIO AND THEY AGREED THAT IT WAS PROBABLY AN INDICATOR PROB. UPON TALKING TO CVG APCH CTL, I ADVISED THEM OF OUR SIT AND REQUESTED CFR EQUIP TO STANDBY AS A PRECAUTION. I CALLED OUR 'EXCEPTIONS' FREQ AND TOLD THEM TO HAVE 'RED COATS' (CSR'S) AT THE GATE, IF POSSIBLE. I THEN SPOKE TO OUR PAX VIA THE INTERCOM TO INFORM THEM OF THE SIT. FINALLY, I SPOKE WITH OUR FLT ATTENDANT AND TOLD HER WHAT WAS GOING ON. THE APCH CTLR ASKED US IF WE WISHED TO DO A TWR 'FLY- BY' TO HAVE THEM CHK THE LNDG GEAR FOR US. HOWEVER, MY FO AND I AGREED THAT THIS WOULD BE UNNECESSARY SINCE WE WERE SURE THAT IT WAS ONLY AN INDICATOR PROB AND THAT WITH THE WX BEING 400 FT OVCST AND 2 1/4 MI VISIBILITY THAT IT WOULD BE A RATHER FRIVOLOUS MANEUVER THAT MIGHT UPSET THE PAX UNNECESSARILY. WE THEN SHOT THE ILS RWY 36R APCH AT CVG AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. SEVERAL CFR VEHICLES FOLLOWED US TO OUR GATE AS IS STANDARD PROC. THE PAX WERE DEPLANED WITH CSR'S AVAILABLE WITHOUT ANY PROB. UPON REQUEST OF MAINT, WE THEN TAXIED THE ACFT TO THE HANGAR. AT THE HANGAR I TALKED TO A MAINT SUPVR WHO TOLD ME THAT A SIMILAR PROB HAD ARISEN ON ANOTHER ACFT AND THAT IT WAS EITHER A LOOSE CANNON PLUG OR A RELAY BOX THAT PROBABLY WAS THE SOURCE OF PROB.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.